Former Manchester United midfielder Fred has delivered a brutal assessment of Erik ten Hag's time with the club, labelling the head coach a "piece of c***." The now 33-year-old made his way to Old Trafford in 2018 from Shakhtar Donetsk for a reported £52.5million.
The Brazilian had a fairly underwhelming five-year stint in the Premier League under the stewardship of Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Ralf Rangnick and lastly, Ten Hag.
Ten Hag's Old Trafford struggles
There were high hopes for the Dutchman, having arrived in England with a great reputation in Holland. However, Ten Hag, who famously fell out with Cristiano Ronaldo, lasted just two-and-a-half years and was given the boot by Sir Jim Ratcliffe in 2024.
And while Fred has explained that the Dutchman knew what he was doing tactically, he also claimed that his squad management attributes were shocking.
Speaking on the Charla Podcast, Fred said: "Ten Hag was tactically very good, but with the group he was a piece of c***. He argued with everyone.
"He argued with me, with Cristiano [Ronaldo], with Casemiro, with [Marcus] Rashford...he wouldn't put me in to play, sometimes it got stressful.
"Only his Dutch players played. A clique-ridden coach. But, tactically, one of the best I've ever worked with. He wanted the team to run, but Cristiano [was] older. He took Cristiano out, and then there was a falling out."
United's decline and managerial changes
Fred ultimately parted ways with United in 2023 as he moved on to new pastures with Fenerbahce, while Ten Hag, who was brought in by the Glazers in 2022, was out the door the very next year. While the club had triggered a one-year contract extension in the summer of 2024, which should have seen him through until 2026, he was gone by late October.
United languished in 14th at the time, having taken just eight points from seven matches - their worst start to a season in the English top flight since 1989/90. While Ruud van Nistelrooy stepped in on an interim basis, Ruben Amorim was quickly appointed as Ten Hag's successor at the Theatre of Dreams.
The Portuguese boss didn't fare any better, leaving the club earlier this year without winning a trophy, with Michael Carrick now in charge on a permanent basis.
Ten Hag's post-United career
While Ten Hag signed a two-year contract with Bayer Leverkusen in July 2025, the Haaksbergen-born tactician was relieved of his duties just two months later, having overseen just three games. Kasper Hjulmand was recruited as his replacement.
Ten Hag has since moved into the executive realm, taking up tenure as Twente's sporting director in February, succeeding Jan Streuer. He is under contract with the Eredivisie club until 2028.
As for United, Carrick is currently at the wheel, having initially stepped in on an interim basis following Amorim's sacking in January.
A third-place Premier League finish was enough to land the Englishman a permanent contract, with hopes of restoring Old Trafford to its former glory. However, 2026/27 has been largely unkind to the Reds thus far, with the club sitting 12th in the standings with just one win from their opening five games.
Carrick's men will next take on Tottenham Hotspur on home soil when the Premier League returns on Saturday, October 10.
